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Fraud defence 9 min read Checked 2 November 2026

Digital arrest scams: how to spot one, and what to do

A caller says a parcel in your name held drugs, or your Aadhaar is linked to money laundering. Then a “police officer” keeps you on a video call for hours and tells you to move your savings “for verification”. This is the digital arrest scam. Here is how to recognise it in the first minute, what to do if you have already paid, and what the law and the courts say.

By Ayan Mandal

Four facts that end the call

  • There is no digital arrest in Indian law. No police force, the CBI, customs, the ED, the RBI or a court arrests anyone over a video call or keeps them “under arrest” on camera.
  • No officer asks you to move money “for verification”. There is no “safe government account” and no refund after the “investigation”.
  • A police notice to appear does not come on WhatsApp. The Supreme Court has said that notices under section 35 of the BNSS cannot be served on WhatsApp or by other electronic means.
  • Secrecy is the scam. A real investigation never forbids you from telling your family or your lawyer. The moment you tell someone, the script falls apart.

The Ministry of Home Affairs warned in May 2024 that fraudsters pose as the police, the CBI, narcotics officers, the RBI and the ED. They claim a parcel with drugs or fake passports was sent in your name, or that a relative is in custody. They keep victims on Skype or another video call until they pay, from studios made to look like police stations. The ministry says the crime is run by cross-border syndicates. For the full four-act script, read the anatomy of modern cyber scams.

Is this a digital arrest? A red-flag check

Tick everything that has happened. Nothing you tick leaves your device.

What the caller did

If it is happening now

  1. End the call. Do not argue or explain. You do not need anyone’s permission to hang up.
  2. Do not move any money. Do not break a deposit, take a loan, or share an OTP, PIN or card number.
  3. Tell someone you trust. Call a family member or a friend straight away.
  4. Report it. Call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in. Report the caller’s number on the Chakshu page of Sanchar Saathi (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
  5. Worried there really is a case? Call your local police station on a number you find yourself, not one the caller gave you.

If you have already paid

  1. Call 1930 at once. The sooner you report, the better the chance that the money can be frozen in the receiving accounts.
  2. Tell your bank on its 24x7 helpline, from the number on its .bank.in website or your card. Ask it to block further debits, and take a complaint number.
  3. File at cybercrime.gov.in with every transaction, account, UPI ID and phone number the fraudsters used, and keep screenshots of the calls and messages.
  4. Go to the police. Our cyber cell directory lists official emails and drafts a complaint letter. The first 24 hours after a fraud walks through each step.

Compensation from 2027

The RBI’s revised directions (RBI/2026-27/167) apply to transactions from 1 January 2027. They include a one-time small-value compensation for individuals: 85% of a loss of up to ₹50,000, capped at ₹25,000, if the fraud is reported to the bank and to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in within five calendar days. The directions expressly cover payments approved under coercion or threats, such as a digital arrest. The scheme covers frauds up to one year from 1 January 2027, and your bank decides eligibility. Report every case anyway.

Beware the second scam. After a loss, fake “lawyers”, “cyber cell officers” or “recovery agents” may call and ask for a fee to get your money back. Real police and courts do not charge you to recover money.

What the law and the courts say

  • Notices must be served properly. In Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI the Supreme Court ordered on 21 January 2025 that police notices under section 35 of the BNSS (section 41A of the old CrPC) cannot be served on WhatsApp or by other electronic means, and told states to issue standing orders. In July 2025 it refused Haryana’s plea to allow electronic service, because the liberty of a person is at stake.
  • The Supreme Court took up the scam itself. In October 2025 it took suo motu notice after an elderly couple in Ambala lost more than ₹1 crore to fraudsters who used forged court and ED orders. The case is In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents.
  • A CBI probe across India. On 1 December 2025 the Court asked the CBI to investigate digital arrest cases first, including the role of bank officials in mule accounts, and asked states to give their consent.
  • Interim directions of 4 August 2026. As reported by SCC Online, the Court told the RBI to adopt a procedure for temporary holds on money linked to mule accounts, asked states to run the government’s money-restoration and grievance systems, and asked a committee to consider a victim-compensation framework. That framework is under consideration, not yet in force.
  • Action against the tools. The government said in March 2025 that I4C had blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrests, and that telecom operators block international calls that spoof Indian numbers.

An invented example

Protect your parents

  • Tell them today, in plain words: “No police officer will ever arrest you on a video call. If anyone says so, hang up and call me.”
  • Agree that any request to move a large amount gets a call to a family member first, whatever the caller says.
  • Write 1930 and your own number on a card near the phone.
  • Show them how to block and report a number, and how to end a video call.

For bank staff: signs at the counter

  • An older customer wants to break a deposit or send a large sum to an unknown account in a hurry, while on the phone.
  • The customer says the money is for “verification”, “a court” or “clearing my name”, or has been told not to say why.
  • The customer seems scared, follows instructions from the caller, or is reluctant to let you see the beneficiary details.
  • Ask open questions calmly and give the customer time. Involve the branch manager, offer to call a family member, and help the customer call 1930 if it looks like a scam.
  • Record what you saw. If a fraud is reported later, the time and details matter.

Questions people ask

Is digital arrest legal in India?

No. Indian law has no procedure called a digital arrest. Police do not arrest people over a video call, do not keep them on camera, and never ask them to transfer money to prove their innocence.

Can the police send a notice on WhatsApp?

Not a notice to appear under section 35 of the BNSS. The Supreme Court has said these notices cannot be served on WhatsApp or by other electronic means; they must be served in the ways the law sets out.

What should I do during a digital arrest call?

End the call. Do not pay, do not share OTPs or bank details, and do not install any app. Tell a family member, then call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in. You can report the number on Sanchar Saathi’s Chakshu page.

I paid money in a digital arrest scam. Can I get it back?

Report at once on 1930, to your bank and at cybercrime.gov.in. Money can sometimes be frozen in the receiving accounts if you report quickly. For frauds from 1 January 2027, a one-time RBI compensation may apply to small losses, even for payments made under threats.

Who is investigating digital arrest scams?

State police handle complaints. In December 2025 the Supreme Court also asked the CBI to investigate digital arrest cases across India, including the role of bank officials in mule accounts.

Are the officers on the video call real?

No. The government’s alert says the fraudsters use studios made to look like police stations and government offices, and wear uniforms to appear genuine.

Where this comes from

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For free legal advice, call the National Legal Services Authority’s helpline, 15100. The facts come from these public sources:

Rules and court orders change. Confirm the current position at cybercrime.gov.in, rbi.org.in or with your bank before you act.

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